following the unveiling of its 7-seater flying taxi, munich-based startup lilium has come into the spotlight again to reveal a series of important developments regarding its innovative ‘lilium jet’ eVTOL. the updates include the introduction of a flexible cabin configuration, responding to a wide range of needs and scenarios. in addition, the company has also announced its collaboration with private aviation company netjets, which aims to add 150 lilium jets with zero operating emissions to their ownership program and explore partnering on flight operations in florida, as well as in other regions in the US and europe.
all images courtesy of lilium
for years now, lilium has perfected its ducted electric vectored thrust (DEVT) technology through successive generations of aircraft demonstrators. the electric jet engines integrated into the wing flaps provide advantages in payload, aerodynamic efficiency, and a lower noise profile, whilst also providing thrust vector control to manoeuvre the lilium jet through every phase of flight.
with its new flexible configuration system, the lilium jet eVTOL can adapt to a variety of customers and uses. the most spacious cabin arrangement is designed for private flights, with the aircraft accommodating four passengers. alternatively, the cabin can be configured with six seats for passenger flights, or no seats to serve the zero-emissions logistics market.
the new premium four passenger ‘club cabin’ configuration is what got the attention of the world’s leading private jet company, netjets. as lilium announced on its official website, the two companies have signed the contract for the purchase of 150 electric jets, which will soon be used within netjets’ existing shared ownership program.
this planned collaboration is also expected to boost lilium’s commercial ambitions in florida and other US markets and would create supplemental direct sales opportunities. the jet, which offers high performance with zero operating emissions, will allow netjets to advance its sustainability efforts by offering its customer base regional transportation alternatives. as part of the collaboration, the german startup will also partner with flightsafety international inc. an expert in aviation training, which will use its advanced software to provide flight simulators and training services for the future lilium jet pilots.
daniel wiegand, co-founder and CEO of lilium said: ‘this partnership is a major step in our mission to build radically better ways of moving and to electrify regional air travel. we believe that the private and business professional segments will be highly attractive markets in the future and, likewise, early adopters of the evtol revolution. we couldn’t be happier to collaborate with netjets and flightsafety to electrify this market and hope to forge a long-term strategic partnership to bring high speed regional electric air mobility to the world.’
high speed goods delivery configuration
name: lilium jet company: lilium
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